GREEN BAY, Wis.—Despite the pandemic, which has hit higher education across the region and country hard, initial enrollment reports from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay show a two-percent enrollment gain—the largest gain by percentage in the UW System this year.* See the System release.
UW-Green Bay is reporting 8,970 students enrolled across its four locations. Gains included a 12-percent increase in Graduate Studies and gains in enrollment at Marinette, Manitowoc and Sheboygan campuses. The gain marks six straight years of enrollment growth for the University.
“This is truly incredible, especially in light of the pandemic,” said UW-Green Bay Provost Kate Burns. Our mission is to teach all who want to learn,” Burns said. “This focus on student success permeates all that we do. Our students have shown incredible resilience in pursuing their education during this time. I am so proud of our faculty and staff in how they have rallied around our students to support them and their educational goals.”
Burns said that the enrollment success can be attributed to a number of things: Meeting the needs of the region with undergraduate and graduate programs, certificates and professional development; flexibility in delivery which allows students to earn their degree in a way that aligns with their busy lives; and faculty and staff who take a personal responsibility to provide the help that each student needs.
“We have seen tremendous resilience throughout our entire UW-Green Bay community,” Burns said. “While the college experience may look a bit different due to the pandemic, our students are engaged in their learning and will be well-positioned to meet our region’s needs and help move us forward.”
Burns also reported high retention rates, as the University retained 75 percent of students from first to second year.
The forecast for the future of the University looks strong, with first-year student applications for next fall trending well above the previous year, transfer applications doubled and graduate programs continuing to see aggressive growth in enrollment.
* (All figures are preliminary and may be subject to some change as they are finalized.)
